Startup profile · funding coverage
Boku funding, valuation and investors
Carrier billing and mobile payments for digital goods and app stores.
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Funding, valuation & investors
Answer-first snapshotLatest funding
Series D
$35M · 2012
Latest known valuation
~$164M post-money
IPO (LSE AIM) · November 2017
Total disclosed equity funding
$35M
Excludes debt, grants, acquisitions, secondaries, and IPO proceeds.
Current status
public
public · London, United Kingdom
Investors in latest funding
Lead: New Enterprise Associates
Other: Benchmark , Index Ventures , Khosla Ventures
Latest tracked event: IPO (LSE AIM) (November 2017). It is shown separately because it is not counted as disclosed equity funding.
Overview
Boku enables carrier-billed payments for digital merchants and app stores, letting consumers charge purchases to their mobile phone bill — a cardless payments rail strong in emerging markets. Founded in 2009, it raised venture rounds from Benchmark, Index Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and NEA before listing on London AIM in November 2017, raising approximately £45M at ~$164M post-money valuation.
Why Boku is interesting
Boku powers carrier-billed App Store and Google Play purchases globally — a16z joined Benchmark and NEA before its 2017 London AIM IPO.
Product & use cases
Carrier billing API connecting digital merchants and app stores to mobile operators — consumers pay via phone bill instead of credit card.
- In-app purchases billed to mobile phone accounts
- Digital content subscriptions in cardless markets
- App store payment alternative in emerging economies
Key facts
- IPO (Nov 2017): ~£45M on London AIM at ~$164M post-money (TechCrunch)
- Series D (2012): $35M led by NEA
- a16z strategic investment (2010)
Funding history (newest first)
IPO (LSE AIM)
2017-11 ~£45M Valuation: ~$164M post-moneyInvestors in our directory
Funds linked from Boku's profile — open a fund page for stage focus and related deal articles.
Competitive landscape
Edge: Global carrier relationships and regulatory compliance across dozens of markets — hard to replicate operator integrations.
Carrier billing is niche in developed markets but essential where card penetration is low. Boku's AIM listing gave liquidity; growth tied to mobile commerce in emerging markets and app store partnerships.
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Fortumo (Boku subsidiary) direct
Boku acquired Fortumo; combined carrier billing scale.
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Stripe adjacent
Card-based payments dominant in developed markets; Boku wins where cards are scarce.
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Apple/Google in-app billing incumbent
Platform billing for app stores; Boku provides carrier alternative in select markets.
Notable stories
- Boku became a key carrier billing partner for Apple App Store and Google Play in markets where card payments lag.
- London AIM IPO in 2017 gave Boku public currency during mobile payments consolidation.
- a16z's 2010 strategic bet preceded larger rounds from Benchmark and NEA.
Industries
Market / IPO context
Ticker: BOKU (LSE AIM)
IPO status: public
IPO date: 2017-11
Editorial / static context — not a live quote.
Related funding articles
Venture Capital Tracker pieces that cover Boku's financing or category context.
FAQs about Boku
Practical answers founders, operators, and investors typically search for.
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Editorial note: AI tools assisted with research, structure, or drafting. Venture Capital Tracker retains human editorial responsibility for factual accuracy, relevance, and source quality before publication.